Railway-switch



(No Model.)

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. P. DODSON.l

RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Nov. 6, 1883.

Hi :H In a N, PETERa Mumsmnw. wnmingmn. l1 e,

(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 2.

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RAILWAY SWITCH. No. 287,810. Patented'Nov. 6, 1888.

`new and useful Improvements in Railroad,

- l g UNITED .STATES PATENT Option.,-

` wILsoN P. Bonson, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,810, dated Ndvember 6,1883.

i Application filed January 25, 1883. (No model) I i To all whom t may concern: i Be it known that I, WILsoNJP. Donson, a

citi/.en ofthe United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county oflPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Switches, and I do declarey the following to be a full, clear, and-exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accomin all the figures.

panying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-switchesyby whichy trains of cars, in

j'passin g in either direction, whether upon the main track or siding, will be prevented from" .derailment under any and all circumstances arising from a misplaced switch.

It consists of amain-track provided with a depression in one or both of its rails, com- `bined with certain movable siding1ails,all

arranged as will be yhereinafter set forth and claimed. f f;

In referring` to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, showing' the main track and switch in normal position to allow a free and unobstructed passage on the main track from eithery direction. l Fig. 2 is a side `elevation of the main track. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same on line .e :t of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan of track, showing but one rail of the" main track depressed. Fig. 'is a plan to any enlarged scale, showing the spring device. i Similar reference-letters indicatelike parts The subject of my present application and claim was first presented in a prior "applica-` tion, (upon which Patent No. 257,299, patented May 2, 1882, was granted me,) .butwas withdrawn` from said application to be elnbodi-ed in thepresent one, that said. patent might issue on the specific matters otherwise claimed therein. f

Referring to the drawings, A A are rails of the mainv track, which are permanently fixed to sleepers inthe usual manner. B B are ,the rails forming the switch.

C C are guard-rails located at suitable points,

bed, to serve as guides to prevent undue lateral movement of the cars as they are. being shunted onto the siding'from the main track and onto the latter from tlle former.

D D" D are connecting-bars provided to unite the switch-rails and keep them relatively together. I .l

E is a spring of spiral or other form placed over the switch bar or rod, to which the operating-lever is attached, which is limited in its expansion by flanged collars f, which inturn are limited by a yoke "permanently fixed to the eonnectingbar D. The said connectingbar D being fixed to the partsof the siding B B", said parts are carried with it to one side or they other by opposite movements of they switch-lever c to admit of `the play to the yoke on the said rod when, by force from the wheels of an appreaching train, a lateral movement is given to switch-rails B B. The function of the spring E is to restore the rail B or B to a lockedposition after yielding by theforce of the wheels of a passing train. The vrail B of the siding, being pointed at the end b, as sh own, is adapted to fit snugly against the rail A when theswitch is shifted to shunt a trainr from the main track onto the siding. L ordinary form; but the section Bf is deflected from point g to form an elbow-curve at said' Nuts g2 yare adjusted on the rod as shown, and permanently iixed to the 'road-` D The rail B is of point, which isfpraetically opposite to the point 1) of therail B. This rail B is pivoted at g, for a purpose hereinafter tobe mentioned. The guard-rail C is madeof a greater or less length, or in sections, as may in practice be found necessary for the performance of ythe well-known function of such appliances.

. In Fig. l the rails A A of the main track are depressed a distance about equal tothat between the points a a to a depth suflicient, when taken in connection with the contiguous elbow siding-rail, to admit of the. transit thereoverof the flanges of the wheels of the cars, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. In Fig. 4, however, but one of the permanentl rails A of the main track is shown depressed,

and in lall probability this ,variation` only in y any combination would be required in practice to give a satisfactory result. Itis of course Ico to be understood that the siding and its connections have a plane in common with the common plane of the main-track rails, kand that the plane of depression of said main-track rail or rails is consequently below that ofthe siding.

The operation of my switch I will explainI Y as follows: Te will suppose the train to be aprIO proaching in the direction of the arrow z, which we will call up. The switch being in its normal position-z'. e., set for the main line-there will be nothing to prevent the movement of the train upon the main track in either direction. I now open the switch by means of the lever and cause the point b to t snugly to the rail A, while at the same time the opposite rail, B, fits snugly to the rail A also of the main track, being drawn over by the connecting-bars D D D. The switch being now setto the siding, we will suppose a trainapproaching which we desire to shunt from the main track. When the forward wheels of the en- A gine or car reach the point b, the tread of said rail A of the main track, are thereby supported, and upon arriving at the elbow g are deflected also upon the siding-rail in consequence of the iianges of said wheels having reached the point of greatest depression, so that the latter are thereby enabled to pass obliquely over the tread of said depressed rail A to engage with the tread of said siding-rail. If we now suppose the switch to have been left l open, set to the siding, either through neglect or otherwise, nevertheless a train running on the main track in the directionA of the arrow z will not be prevented from passing over the main track through liability to derailment, for as soon as the flanges of the forward wheels on the left reach the angle b they willenter said angle wedge like and force said `pointed rail laterally towardthe right, and by means ofthe A connecting-bars D D D the elbow siding-rail on the opposite side willbe moved from its closely-fitting position to allow of the safe passage of the train, said lateral movement being facilitated at the same time by the impingement ofthe outer rim of the treads of the wheels on the opposite side against the edge'of the contiguous elbow siding-rail in a similar wedge-like manner, after which the expansive force of the spring E returns said pointed rail B and the elbow-rail B\to the locked position, leaving the siding open, set as beforethe passage of the train. If we now closethe switch set to the main line, -with the pointed rail B snug to the fixed guard rail C, the main track being now open, a train coming out of the siding will not be prevented from running freely onto the main track, for the reason that as said train moves in the direction of the Varrows the ilanges of the forward wheels on the left vwill wedge themselves vbetween the guard-rail C and the pointed rail B and force said pointed rail B against the main-track rail A, and thus open a way on the left, and at the same time draw, by means 4of 7 5 the tiebars, the elbow-rail within reach of the main track to give a safe passage onward. After said train from the siding has passed on,

the force of the controlling-spring E will re turn the saidpointed and elbow rails to again close the siding.

The permanent track-rails A A, or either of them, are intended to be' so inclined or depressed from some convenient point or points, reaching a vertical depth of deepest depression at the point b, or at a point about opposite said point, at the same time, so that the wheels of the train, in passing up and down the main track, will descend into and pass out of the depression between the limits of the same so gradually that the change oi' plane will scarcely be perceived by the passengers on the train. In placing the depressed rail or rails it will be necessary either to lower the road-bed or else groove or cut away the ties to receive said rails, the latter means, however, being preferred for economical or other reasons evident. As I have stated, the rails of the main track may be depressed by as gentle an inclination as may in practice be deemed best; but by increasing or diminishing the length of the inclined plane it will be necessary,'also, to increase or diminish the length of the elbow siding-rail B of the siding to a corresponding extent, so that when the train is coming in the direction ofthe arrowpz the tread of the wheels of the train will take onto said rail as soon as the beginning of the said depression is reached.

The connecting-bars D D D are to be secured in the usual manner to the switch-rail, and they may be constructed with some compensating arrangement, so as to adjust themselves withoutdistortion to the changes necessitated by the movement of the switch laterally. In the application of these bars to fit under the'depression of the main-track rail IIO it will be necessary to bend them, as shown at z', Fig. 3, in order to have them mover freely under the said depressed portions.

l Vhile in the construction of the different* 4appliances of my switch I prefer to depress but the one rail of the main track, and that upon the side neXt to the siding, upon the score of economy and simplicity, in conjunction with absolute safety, yet I do not by any means confine `lmyself to this construction, for

the reason that it may be found best in practice to depress both rails of the main track for of said main rail to carry the ianges ofthe wheelsot a shunted train over the said main motion is given tothe car by the reason of I5` passingrapidly around a sharp curve, to the discomfort offtravelers, as well as to the detriment of the runninggear ofI the trucks and the tracks from the unequal strain consequent upon the movement of the train in a plane lat erally inclined.'

I am aware that an outside elbow switc`h rail in combination with a level main rail, and upwardly inclined from its end above'the level rail, is not new; but in such a case a rolling the said elevation 'of the switch-railjwhich formsthe inner rail ofthe curve of the said switch. The rule observed in the construc-y l l n tion of railway curves is to elevate the outerk rail to resist the centrifugal force, which, in the passage of cars around curve, tends to throw them over toward the outer side; but this elevation of the "inner rail of the curve7 where a switch starts from the main line, as-

` sists the centrifugal force to lnrehlthe car over toward the opposite side. Itkk has been attelnptedto prevent this by giving to theswtchpoint7 which is' used with the aforesaid upesmero j; Y f y 3 waidly-inclined elbow-rail7 (and engages laterally with the inside ofthe opposite main rail,) also an upward inclination just back ci the eX- by'depressing the main-track rail adjacentto the elbow switch-rail to such a depth as, when taken in connection ywith said contiguous elbowswitch-rail, will admit of the passage of the wheel-iianges thereover of a shunted train without liability of impingenient of` the saine upon thcconcave surface of the said maintrack rail. l f c c g rWhat I claimyas new7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

` The combination, in a switchviththe `1naintrack rail having a depression; as described, ofthe elbow rail adjacent tothe said depression in the main rail, and arranged iny the coni- -nion plane of the main and side tracks," and adapted to carry the flanges oi' the car-wheels over said main rail7 as set forth. In testimony whereof I my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

WILSON I. DODSON.

Witnesses:` n

GEORG-n. Honsn,

Salut. F. GILLIns.

. i 30 y t' treme point.y My device avoids the difficulty 

